


Dance By Osmosis- or however it works these people aren't scient

by Superheronerd_1



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst? Never heard of her, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Forgiveness, Healing, Idiots in Love, Its a good fun time, Kid Fic, Listen we're just vibing here, Mutual Pining, Sonny is a good bro, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28807662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superheronerd_1/pseuds/Superheronerd_1
Summary: Olivia never really had to worry about science homework before. She really never had to worry about her best friend finding out how madly in adoration she was for him.Elliot never thought he wanted another kid. Turned out, Noah could be the exception.Dating but not-really-dating in your fifties was weird.They make it work.***Healing, forgiveness, fluff, slow burn. Sonny is a good bro.Will upload weekly. I'm thinking this is gonna be like 10 chapters. Probably. We'll see.
Relationships: Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I HABE BEEN PROMISING MY STAR WARS READERS A FIC FOR THREE FUCKING YEARS BUT I STARTED WRITING THIS INSTEAD 
> 
> I HAVEN'T UOLOADED IN A YEAR
> 
> AND I COME BACK WITH A GOOD OKD SELF INDULGENCE?? 
> 
> Lol mood

"Colleen Rose if you don't put your jacket on this minute-"

"I can't! What if it hits my hair? You take too long to put it back up and I'm not good at doing it."

"I  _ promise  _ that it will not hit your hair." Elliot promised. A very, very empty one at that because apparently he was supposed to ignore the dozen of times she just fell on her behind. But hey, a jacket would  _ destroy _ her bun that was hanging by literally strands.

Of all activities his granddaughter wanted to do, out of every single one offered in the city, she chose dancing. Not that Elliot would ever tell her (or Maureen) but Colleen was not the most coordinated little girl in the world. Her skills would be more appropriate in, say, drawing classes. Or rugby.

Please God, let her sign up for rugby.

"Hey Colleen I can fix it." A voice said from besides them.

Elliot looked down next to him. A little boy with green eyes and curly hair and cheeks blotchy red from the class. The boy looked up to Elliot and grinned. "Momma taught me."

Colleen nodded to him and looked back up to Elliot. "Noah is really good with hair."

Elliot released the air in his lungs and rubbed his eyes as his granddaughter and her friend- Noah- chatted. Colleen was a three foot three stubborn five year old girl with a mane of brown hair equally as stubborn. She was one of the bright spots as Elliots life and most definitely not the favorite just because she's the first grandchild. 

The more dance classes and the many  _ many _ hair ties and scrunchies on his floors and in his cars prove that.

Noah had climbed up on the bench intended for parents and undid Colleen's hair. "Do you have a brush?"

"I have my fingers. That's God's brush."

"How 'bout a fork?"

She whipped around and made a disgusted face at Noah. "In my  _ hair? _ " 

Elliot leaned down and picked up Colleen's bag and dug through to give Noah a brush. It shows how desperate he was to leave the place that he was letting someone as equally as young as his granddaughter to do hair. "Here you go Little Man."

"I'm Noah." The kid said as he accepted the brush. 

Elliot smiled." I'm Elliot."

Noah had a toothy grin. "Nice to meet ya. Colleen where's your mom?" He asked through brushing her unruly dark hair. 

"At work." Colleen replied as she grabbed her bag from Elliots hands. "This is my Pop. He's taking me to classes now."

"Oh." Noah began to tie Colleen's hair back into a bun. "I have Lucy today."

Colleen tried twisting. "I like when your uncle comes. And your momma. Tell her I said hi!"

Elliot turned down to the mess Collen left on the floor in her hunt of a juice box (probably empty) and a storm og glitter sequins fell off her bag. God have mercy for whoever has to manufacture these bags- Momo, Bobo, whoever was on the cover. Some pop star and Elliot knew that the preppy pop star was to blame for his granddaughters newfound love of dancing.

The only reason why he was here was because Maureen's wanted to have her mornings back. Elliot could relate- as a security guard he's lucky when he can catch El on the mornings he has him before he heads off to work.But the pay is worth it, and the job itself was worth it. No one really needs a security guard at an architectural firm.

He shaked the bag to get all the stuff crammed in there down so he could zip it up again.

"Pop be careful with Jojo, she's  _ eccentric. _ "

Maybe not worth it enough to be available for dance class, but he loved the extra time with his granddaughter. No matter how bossy.

"Pin please." Noah asked. Elliot stretched out his palm for him to pick from. "Thank you."

He watched as Noah stocked them in Colleen's hair until finally he tightened the curl-a-rounded bun. "You're all set. And tell  _ your _ momma I said hello."

Colleen grinned and grabbed on to Elliot's hand. For such a little girl she was so  _ strong _ . "Okay." She took in a deep breath and before Elliot could ask what she was doing Colleen yelled "BYE LUCY!"

" _ Colleen. _ " Elliot said. He looked up and saw a woman with long hair waving. Among the stares of the other parents. 

"What?" Colleen asked after Noah said bye and went to the women. "I like Lucy. She always has animal crackers."

“Please tell me you ask whenever you want some.” Elliot pleaded with the little monster as they left the fairly sizable dance room. 

He felt her body shake from her vigorous nodding. “Yeah. Most of the time.” SHe trailed her fingers on the wall as they walked down the hall, the smell of shoes (blissfully) becoming a distant memory.

The building itself was beautiful, built rund the structure of an old hotel and gutted from the inside out to be transformed into an open floor plan. A flat floor with custom grooves on the side in the shape of little dance notes. 

Elliot raised his arm as a gaggle of kids ran past him. "Is Noah one of your friends?" He asked.

"Yeah. Hes, he's not my  _ best _ friend because he's a boy. But in dance he is. But not in dance he's not and Arina is from my school. Arina is in softball." Colleen chatted next to him. It amazed Elliot just how much his granddaughter could talk.

Colleen was holding up her dance shoes like a trophy and jumped the last few steps right into a puddle of mush. "Noah's mom is a cop like you.

"Not a cop."

"Grandma said you were a cop."

"Past tense." They stepped over the curb and looked both ways before crossing the street. Elliot ignored the wet sensation on his pants. The wind blew on his face,the beard he grew doing absolutely nothing.

Colleen jumped into another mush puddle, getting Elliots legs soaked. She seemed pretty unbothered with the fact. "Can I watch Paw-patrol when we get to your place?"

"Depends. You have homework?"

"Not due until Friday."

Elliot thought about it and shrugged. "Yeah, why not."

They got to his Lincoln parked down the street. "How much water do you drink?"

"Ateast half my water bottle. I'm like a tissue paper, getting all that liquid."

"...what?"

"You know. I get water and  _ shhhhluck _ . All gone." She nodded. "Kyianga was telling me about it."

Elliot opened the door for her and just stared down. What a truly, truly weird granddaughter he had.

***

"Noah fixed my hair. Because Pop can't do it. Didn't you say he knew how to do hair?" Colleen asked the second Maureen had come into Elliot's apartment.

"You're a nark." Elliot said around a mouth full of taco cheese. He dumped a packet of El Paso seasoning into the ground meat while waving his wooden spoon at his daughter. "She's a nark."

"I never promised he could do hair, honey. I said he knew how to put it up." Maureen ignored. "And Noah did a fine job fixing your hair."

"Yeah because his momma taught him." Colleen turned from her mothers hug to stare at Elliot. "His mom should teach you."

Maureen nodded and grinned. "Noah's momma could teach Pop quite a few things."

Elliot raised an eyebrow and held the empty packet of El Paso closer to his chest. Such sweet things shouldn't be subjected to this sort of sinful speak.

  
  


." Colleen said as she went back over to grab her homework to shove it into her backpack. "I also did a somersault in class and Kyianga did one but she hit her head on the floor."

Maureen stood back up and smiled over at Elliot. "Hey Dad."

Elliot grinned. "Hey sweetheart. How was work?" 

Maureen grabbed Colleen's empty water cup on her way to him. "It was good. There's this one book I really like and I'm going to make you read when it comes out. The premise is old love." She kept her face neutral as if she hadn't tried to sign Elliot up for dating sites.

Ever since she started the eight to five shift at work she's become a more relaxed person. Between that and Elliot living just a few blocks from her Maureen has this whole single parent on lock down.He should probably tell her more often that he's proud of her for doing this by herself since her boyfriend died.

Maureen took her coat off and tossed it on the chair (honestly, were his kids raised in a farm?) and came towards the kitchen area. "You met any of the parents yet?"

Elliot shook his head and offered the bag of cheese to her. "Exchanged a few hellos, one or two handshakes, nothing crazy."

"Really? No one popped at you? Not even a certain six year olds mother?" She prompted (after taking the whole bag).

He stirred the ground beef and turned the burner off. Added a bit more water for moisture. "There was a whole room a six year olds." 

"Yeah but there should be a certain  _ mother _ who-"

"They're all in their twenties, Maureen."

"Noah's momma isn't." Colleen interrupted. From the side of him. She offered up a handful of clumped up cheese which Elliot so graciously passed on. "She like your age."

"Noah's momma wasn't there." Elliot replied down.

"Lucy?" Maureen shook her head. "I like Lucy, but I  _ adore _ Noah's mom. Very intelligent. Beautiful beyond all of god's graces. Single as you are."

"Stop trying to get me to date people." Elliot grumbled. "If it happens it'll happen."

He and Kathy had such an amicable divorce he felt cheated. Where was his story about the crazy ex-wife? Even when Kathy met Richard the sales clerk there had never been any fight or jealousy. 

Truly cheated. How dare Elliot have a healthy relationship with his family?

Maureen ignored him."That's  _ exactly _ what Noah's very single mother said. Something about  _ mind your own business, Maureen. _ But will I, honey?"

"Nope." Colleen replied. "Cheese please."

  
  
  


***

  
  


"I brought a grape back to life Colleen." A black girl with dozens of braids greeted as they walked in. She was grinning like she won the lottery. "Like actually back to life!"

Elliot was yanked forward before he could give Colleen the chance to to greet her friends. "Nu-uh!"

"It's true!" A little boy-Noah- said. He held up a bag with a dark brown orb bunching around water. "Kyianga really did!"

" _ Whoa! _ "

"Right!" Kyianga exclaimed.

Elliot turned towards the rack and hung up his and Collenes jacket as the kids chatted about this and that. 

The class has an odd assortment of ages ranging from four to eight. An even older assortment of parents along, blue collars to high end retailers. For his second time to coming to one of these classes, Elliots pretty sure he's got the general population nailed down.

The kids seemed content with themselves as he walked to the closest spot near the doors to set down the array of Colleen's dance stuff. Shoes, scrunchies, more shoes…

Jesus Christ this was an expensive hobby. Especially for a little girl with the balance of a walnut.

By the time Elliot started paying attention to the kids conversation again they had moved on from the born again grape. 

"That smell that grass has when you cut is it telling other grass that trouble is coming." Kyianga informed them.

Colleen made a depressed face. "Like...it knows it's gonna get cut?"

"Yeah."

"That's sad."

"Did you know that Coca-Cola can rot your teeth?" Noah offered. 

Kyianga turned to him. "Like when you don't brush them?"

Noah shook his head and pulled up his pants. "No, more like if you put your tooth in a cup of Coca-Cola it can distinguish."

"Disintegrate." Elliot corrected automatically.

Noah nodded to him. "Dis-in-tegrate." He grinned up to Elliot. "Hi ya!"

"Hey buddy, how are you today?"

"I'm very well."

Kyianga raised her hands in a  _ woah _ sort of wave. "Teeth are...They're bones!"

Noah nodded. "Uh-huh."

She had such a horrified look on her face Elliot wanted to ask what happened. "My  _ dad _ drinks Coca-Cola."

Colleen shrugged her shoulders. "So?"

Kiyanga gave her a look. "Bones are inside your body. When you drink stuff, the stuff goes  _ inside _ your body!"

"Wait…" Colleen turned to the floor and Elliot could practically feel her little mind gears working. "If my bones are inside…"

"And teeth are bones! Which means Coca-Cola can dis-in-tergrate his big bones!" Kyianga yelled! She shook her head. "I'm gonna tell my dad, he  _ can't  _ have known this."

"Dance next to us!" Colleen yelled to her as Kyianga ran to inform her father. 

"Colleen-" Elliot warned, handful of bobby pins produced from his pocket (you live and learn)."Didn't your mom talk to you about bossing people around?"

It was, unfortunately, a fairly common conversation they've had. His granddaughter had the habit of answering for people, telling them where to sit, when to stand and how to play with toys. She's great at sharing, he has a fairly selfless daughter. But the Lord has mercy when a child wants to play Go Fish instead of shoots and ladders.

Colleen plopped on the floor next to her bags.She came over right as he fished one out and plopped on the floor. "I wasn't bossing her around."

Noah sat down next to her and started to undo his winter boots. "Asking is nice tho. It's called consent."

"Consent?"

"It means that the other person agreed to whatever it is." He looked up to Elliot. "My mom taught me that."

"It's a good rule." Elliot agreed wholeheartedly. "A fantastic rule, truth be told."

"His motha' advocates for consent very much." A voice with a very heavy accent spoke besides Elliot. "The whole place does, honestly."

  
  


Elliot turned. The man behind the voice had a good-natured face with graying hair. Elliot guessed this was Noah's father.

He reached out his hand to the man."Elliot. Nice to meet you."

“Carisi.” the man said as he shook Elliots hand, mindful of the many bobby pins Elliot was holding. He gave Noah a hairband that was loosely wrapped around his pale wrist. “Dominick Carisi. You can just call Sonny, if you want.”

"You Noah's father?" Elliot asked, truthfully doubtful. He started to wrestle Colleens thick hair in a bun, stabbing in a few pi on the way

Sonny-Carisi-Dominick beamed. "Nah." He brushed his fingers into Noah's curls. "Although he's a pretty great kid. Anyone would be lucky, right pal?"

"I'm happy I got you as an uncle tho." Noah said back with toothy grin. He held up a brush. 

Elliot felt such a rush of affection for the kid. Whoever were his parents they better be grateful for having a sweet son.

"What 'bout you?" Sonny asked and gestured down to Collen. "I haven't seen you hear before. Father?"

Colleen made a rejection noise. "He's my grandpa."

She sounded so scandalized at Elliot being called her father. Elliot wasn't angry- Maureens did a very good job at keeping Colleen's father, Kevin, alive and well in her mind.

Sonny leaned over to Elliot with a big old grin.“You don’t look old enough to be a pop.”

Elliot smiled down into Collens bun. What can he say, flattery worked. Especially on a slowly heading towards the late (wrong) side of the fifty.

to Colleens hair. He knows it's been decent minute from his glory days. 

He stuck one last pin in Colleen's hair. "There. You should be safe."

Colleen shook her head around like a bobble head. "Yeah, okay."

"It looks safe to me." Noah offered with his own hair that was so in place Elliot doubted it would come apart even if the kid when skydiving. 

Colleen turned her head towards Elliot. And on his life he swore she narrowed her dark little eyes. "I hope it doesn't fall out."

"See that?" Elliot asked Sonny when the kids ran off into the actual dance studio. "That was her threatening me."

"I'm scared for you. How old is she?" Sonny asked with an easy smile.

"Five. Yours?" 

"Six, 'bout to turn seven soon." 

Elliot nodded. They both stared off in different directions.

See, this is why Elliot  _ hated _ doing these things with his own kids. Atleast with Lizzie's old softball team he could bitchwith the parents about the coach's tactics. Nothing much to do here but talk about what color a jazz shoe had to be and  _ "Oh my Gracie-Mae is gonna be in the Razzle Dazzle holiday show!" _

Dance moms. Horrifying.

He eyed Son- Carisi up and down. Pretty tall. Well put together.Extremely well put together. He looked down to his hands and saw pen marks on his forefinger, as if he had hit it with pen dozens of times. 

Or, if the pen had washed up from a notepad. 

Then, even more terrifying than dance moms, it came to him. A terrible, terrible thought.

"Lawyer?" Elliot asked like a boulder smashing into the Earth. 

"Yeah!" Carisi lit up. "Just started, actually. How'd you know?"

Elliot gestured to all of him.  _ That's _ it, that's what Carisi was dressed like. Elliot had spent a good chunk of his life staring at this type of outfit. "Just a hunch."

"My captain once told me I was a cop at heart." Carisi joked. "And I was, you know. For a few years."

Elliot did  _ not _ want to have this conversation. No way, no how, not in a million years. This was his fault. Why does he do this to himself? 

"How long has Noah been dancing for?" Elliot asked.

Carisi smiled wide. The love for the kid was painfully clear. "For about a month now. He and Liv- Noah's mom- were just walking and he saw people dancing and fell in love."

_ Liv,  _ Jesus.Elliot looked to the walls and out one of the high windows. He balled one of his fists and crossed his arms over his chest to try and help his heart from thudding out his chest.The last time he talked, like really talked, had to be what, five years now? Six? 

He eyed Carsis over. The guy used to work as a cop. Maybe…

No. No, Elliot was being ridiculous. He loosened up and took a deep breath in. Coincidences don't happen.

"Collen decided to do it because she saw her favorite singer dance. Big bows, something about sneakers-"

"Jojo Siwa?" Carisi interrupted. "Yeah, I like her. She's a good role model for kids."

Elliot raised an eyebrow at Carisi who shrugged. "I have a lot of nieces. You should hear me during Disney Karaoke."

"I'll take your word for it." But Elliot smiled.

It wasn't  _ easy _ talking to Carisi but it was pretty damn close. He was a good-natured guy who had no issue talking about his family. Every time he was steering into work, Elliot would distract him with stories of Elizabeth "accidentally" tossing her baseball bat at the umpire or Eli's science fair project for robotic limbs.

"-and he's going on and on about hamstrings and ligaments. So much so that my YouTube history is just full of amputations." Elliot shook his head. "I gotta tell you, Marines never trained me for this."

"I completely understand. Noah and Jessi- another great kid- were trying to re-educate me on photosynthesis the other week." Carisi shook his head. "Children nowadays have the whole world at their fingertips. It's amazing but it scares me."

Elliot agreed wholeheartedly. "My oldest was around 14 when she got her first email account. And everything that's out there? Anyone that could hurt them? It wasn't until my twins went to college that I finally started to relax the tiniest bit."

"How many kids do you  _ have _ ?" Carisi asked.

"Five. My oldest is thirty-five now, my youngest fourteen."

Carisi whisted. "Jeez. What a difference."

"You're telling me." Elliot grinned. He gestured to the kids, pointing out Colleen dancing between Kyianga and Noah. "She gets her coordination from her grandma."

"You married?"

"Nah. Divorced a few years ago- just one of those things." Elliot said.

Carisi grinned. "Five kids tho. Crazy."

"What about you?" Elliot relaxed back into his chair. "You have any of your own?"

Carisi shook his head. He stretched out his long legs. "No. One of those 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' sort of situations. But, thankfully, I have so many nieces and nephews that it doesn't seem so sad."

Elliot shifted his gaze to Noah. The bun of course was staying in perfect place, which was a good thing because the kid could dance. 

He looked to Carisi and that look he had on his face just seemed so pitiful. No, that's not it- longing.

And, well. Elliot could relate. He would be absolutely no one without his family, especially his kids. All those dark nights, every single disgusting action he has witnessed was to help children and to prevent anything like that to happen to his.

For that Elliot would never be able to thank Olivia enough for keeping him going. 

"Well Noah seems to love you." Elliot amended. 

Carisi's grinn had come back. "He really is one the coolest kids. Like, he's actually cool, not just me seeing him with uncle eyes." His eyes lit up. "And he's  _ so _ literal. One day I said he and Jessi were two peas in a pod and he looked at me all serious and went "Uncle Sonny, I'm a boy. I'm not a pea.""

As Carisi laughed Elliot decided to take back his earlier observation. Talking with the guy  _ was _ easy.

For the next hour they joked about their families. Carisi had dozens of stories to tell and Elliot was a great listener. 

It was fun to trade jokes with him. Carisi even let Elliot have a moment of their age difference- a wapping  _ twenty two _ years. Twenty-two years!

"Are you...are you alright?" Carisi patted Elliots shoulder. 

"I'm processing."

"About my age?"

"About  _ my _ age." Elliot shook his head. "Good god."

"Fifty-six isn't old. Hell, Noah's mom is about fifty-two."

Elliot turned in his seat full body to Carisi. "I didn't say I was old. I'm not old."

"...right."

"I'm young at heart."

"Did you get a heart transplant recently?"

The  _ audacity! _ What a little shit. "You're a little shit."

But Carisi only grinned harder. He had a twinkle in his eyes. "No, no I'm serious. How was FDR for a president."

Elliot shook his head. "I have no hope for the future generations of this country."

"Well-"

Whatever Carisi was going to say was drowned out by a shout. Loud, deafening shouting.

But it was in a pattern. A very specific pattern and  _ oh by merciful Heaven. _

Elliot was going crazy. That was it. He was projecting his own emotions and now his mind is tricking him. Because there would be absolutely no way in hell that-

" _ NO MEANS NO!" _

-a  _ consent rally was happening right in front of them _ .

Elliot scratched his face but nope. There it was.

The whole dance class was standing now, a dozen or so kids yelling at the top of their child-lungs.  _ No means no! _

And he knew it definitely wasn't the teachers idea. The teacher- Miss Cartress- was in obvious distress and annoyance. Elliot couldn't hear what she was saying but he could understand her stance fairly well.

It was so loud that every parent had stood and Elliot...Elliot honestly had no idea what to say.

He sure as hell knew it was inappropriate for him to be so damn happy about this.

"Oh god." Carisi murmured next to him. 

In a way it was beautiful to see. All these kids together for a cause- consent! This is what Elliot dreamed about. 

"Look the other way." Elliot said. He stood up and turned towards the board plastered above them. "If we pretend to not have known they won't make us help."

"I kind of hope they keep going. It's a good message." Carisi said. "Nothing more important then teaching kids this."

Elliot could put a few more things in with the category but he got the idea. "Okay now talk."

"What about? Politics?"

"No. Talk about something useless."

"Unicycles. Hate those one wheeled things."

" _ NO MEANS NO! NO MEANS NO!" _

The chants were so loud that Elliot couldn't think. What had Carisi said? 

He shook his head. "Something else."

Carisi turned to him. "Feel free to jump in!"

"Uh...sports?" Elliot offered weakly and  _ good god there is a CONSENT rally in dance class. _

"Oh! Yeah. The Game was super interesting." Sonny said suddenly.

"Who was playing? I forgot."

"What? No, I mean the game show The Game. I think we're in football season."

_ "NO MEANS NO!" _

“YEAH. Uh. I watched Jeopardy a little while ago.” Elliot said, He cleared his throat. “A long while ago. When it came out.”

"ENOUGH!" Miss Cartres yelled. Oh she was  _ pissed _ . Elliot couldn't blame her but he was so damn proud of these uncoordinated gremlins. 

A consent rally led by kids. He really did have hope for the future.

"Kyianga, Liam, Colleen and Noah to my office  _ NOW _ . The rest of you will sit down and stretch with Miss Detro in silence until I say so!"

"If we leave now into the hallway they can't drag us into the office either. Trust me. Colleen is a little instigator." Elliot murmured. He didn't bother to hide his pride.

"This is Noah written all over. He takes what his mother teaches him to heart. She'd be proud." A beat passed. "Oh shit."

"What?"

"I'm gonna have ta' call her." Sonny and Elliot looked at each other for a moment before Sonny started to smile. Then laughed. Full on, hands to knees, body racking convulsions. " _ Holy shit. _ "


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey  
> I didn't proofread 
> 
> B)

Sitting outside the office was probably the worst part. 

No, he takes it back. Sitting outside the office and hearing the kids yelling from the closed door was the worst part because they all knew that they were all going to have to go in there.

One for the moms-Liams, Elliot guessed- had the right idea to stay down the hall, far enough that she wouldn't be able to hear each shout.

“I gotta say-" Arnold, Kyianga's father, began and interrupted by a particularlO be Marvel's Junior Avengers. Which, of course, naturally led to a consent rally in class with a bunch of kids chanting at the top of their lungs.  _ No means no! _

He probably should be mad. He  _ definitely  _ should call Maureen. But Elliot could not bring himself to do it and he knew exactly why.

He was just so damn  _ proud _ of these kids. 

Elliot really, really shouldn't be. He should be feeling maybe annoyed, or angry. Frustrated probably. But it was a consent rally! How could Elliot possibly ever feel anything but good thoughts? 

Okay, sure. Doing it during dance class wasn't the  _ best _ way to go about it. But if what Elliot had gathered and his conclusion was correct, then there was a perfectly valid reason for this whole situation. No one liked a bully.

"I have no idea how I'm going to pretend to be disappointed in there." He said that Carisi to the side affects him.

Carisi smiled. "I'm not gonna hide my joy. Noah knows right from wrong."

"I'm glad your kids were there for my daughter." Arnold joined. "I like to think that with each generation we get better. And I'm guessing this was just a kid being a jerk, no particular malace being taught behind the scenes. But…"

"You don't know what's going on at home." Elliot nodded. "There's a lot of sick son of bitches out there."

Arnold nodded. "Glad we can teach 'em to be different, you know."

"Trust me. I get it." Carisi said. "The stories I hear everyday, the trials all these young people go through? It's heartbreaking. But this right here? Almost makes up for it."

"Who do you work for?" Elliot asked. Because by God he understood completely.

"The people." Carisi answered simply. Like he was asked what color the sky was. Casual. 

Elliot nodded and turned his head.  _ The People. _ Huh. That's honestly...a great answer.

Sonny wasn't a bad guy. Elliot found himself even liking the lawyer. 

"Oh damn." Sonny said looking at his phone. He had a ferocious grin on his face. "She's here."

"Who?"

"Noah's mom. See, she's a-"

The door opened. Miss Cartress' face seemed very pinched. With a wordless  _ come in _ and turned from the door.

After hearing all the racket from outside, Elliot wasn't looking forward to it. But the men followed dutifully after Liam's mother who had been standing silently like a ghost down the hall.

Walking into the room felt like a minefield. All the kiddos were red in the face, and not just from dancing. 

Elliot and Sonny shared a look. Elliot put his hand on Colleen's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, more for himself than anything. Her and Noah looked pretty damn proud of themselves. 

The kids arranged themselves as a sort of barricade against Liam, with Kyianga at the end and Colleen and Noah shifting the chairs so Liam couldn't get to her. Liam, the little shit, didn't even seem phased. 

_ Oh yeah I just yank on girls braids. No biggie. _

Miss. Cartres looked from one child to the next then up to the parents. "One at a time I'm going to let the children explain what happened to all you."

One at time apparently meant all at a time.

"Liam grabbed Kyianga hair and she said no-"

"I  _ told _ him to stop or else I was gonna bite him-"

"Liam is just always looking for trouble-" Colleen said in a Maureen-sounding tone.

Elliot took a deep breath. The high pitched yelling was giving him a headache. He looked to Kyiangas father, Arnold, who was checking over his daughter's scalp. Sonny was trying to stop Noah from jumping in his seat. 

Liam was a decent sized kid with a face that Elliot knew got him into trouble. Just that look of jackals. "I didn't do anything! It's all Noah's fault!"

"Noah didn't do anything you bird breath! You pulled on my twists!" Kyianga yelled. Elliot had to stop Colleen from yanking off her shoe to throw it at Liam.

" _ WHAT?"  _ Noah stood up in his chair and both Elliot and Sonny put their arms up to block him from getting to Liam. "My fault!? You're the one who assaulted Kyianga!"

"I didn't do nothing!" Liam shouted. He looked back to using mother. "He's lying!"

Kyianga got to her knees, indignation written all over her face. "You're the liar! Liar!"

Liam's mother folded her perfectly polished hands on Liam's shoulder. She wasn't looking at the kids as she spoke. "My son would never purposefully hurt anyone. He's just a little bit energetic. If anything, this  _ may _ have just been an accident."

"I've seen him 'accidently' trip a kid a few classes ago." Arnold said dryly in a deep voice. "Whatever happened I can promise you that Noah is not lying."

Sonny agreed. "Besides that, were you watching him Mrs.Flachure? Because last I noticed you were in the hallway."

Liam's mother -Mrs.Flachure- raised one thin eyebrow. "I  _ know _ my son. He is not being raised to be a bully."

"So you're saying my daughter  _ imagined _ Liam's Hand in her and  _ imagined _ him yanking on it?" Arnold said.

Mrs. Flachure turned to Arnold. "I'm not saying that, but what I am saying is that it wasn't  _ my _ son. He's just not that type of child. There's plenty of other children in there."

Elliot looked Mrs. Flachure up and down. Modern clothes, those ugly sandals his own father used to have. Probably vegan. She didn't seem purposefully rude or anything, but Elliot would guess she believed more in essential oils then vaccines.

Great. An idiot. Suddenly he wasn't so against Colleen throwing her shoe.

"He's lying! And when my mom comes in she can arrest you for hurting Kyianga!" Noah yelled. "She's a captain!"

Sonny covered Noah's mouth. "She's not going to arrest Liam."

Noah ripped the hand from his mouth."Fine, my uncle will!" He turned. "You can still do that right?"

"My pop can." Colleen said. 

" _ No _ I can't. No one is getting arrested." Elliot said loudly and extended his arm towards Mrs.Flachure who turned to the kids. "You lot are all going to listen to Miss Cartress."

But all that resulted in were the kids yelling over each other. 

“-next time you pull my hair I'm gonna kick-!”

“-swear I’m gonna beat you up-”

“- _ Captain!  _ And she arrests people-”

“-You can’t prove  _ nothin-” _

“ENOUGH!” Miss Cartress yelled. She stood up and her arms were bracing the table. She was breathing through her nose fairly hard. She turned to Sonny. “Is Miss Benson on her way?”

“I’m uh, already here.” Said a new voice, soft and warm and  _ holy shit.  _ “What happened?”

Why did this voice make Elliot’s chest ache in the worst way? The same reason why it instantly brought him back to the distant green-walled precinct with its smell of old coffee and peeling paint  _ “Hi, nice to meet you. Cragen said I’m your new partner.”  _

In the span of one second Elliot was back to sitting in a musty squad car with greasy pizza between his teeth  _ What does that trash pile look like- Like a cow- Have you ever even seen a cow before?  _

Elliot couldn't remember if she'd ever seen a cow before. Had she? 

He turned to her, letting go of his granddaughter's arm to outright stare at Olivia Margaret Benson.

Her hair. How many times over the years did she change it? Chopping it all off, growing it out.  _ Bangs. _ That hair had been through a hell’s journey. It was thick and wavy, framing her square face. Her kind eyes. 

She was smiling at him, and she didn’t look surprised  _ why didn’t she look surprise.  _ Was he missing out on some joke, was he suddenly dead?

The top of his thighs numb with blood-rush, his stomach churning over. Was he hyperventilating, he must have been for Sonny to be giving him a strange look from the corner of his eyes.

Maybe she didn’t recognize him and that's why he was standing here without a fist to his face. Elliot would certainly deserve it. 

Wait. Hang on church boy. There's something more important here.

Noah. Noah, who was turning in his seat to look at Olivia with big eyes and a big smile and- " _ Mom, _ you gotta arrest Liam. For assault." 

Elliot thought he was to cry, he could feel the stinging in his eyes and had to shake them back. Mom.

She was a mother. Just that thought was in his mind for an agonizing

It really shouldn't surprise him. It didn't, he always knew that she would have children one day. But the  _ fact _ that he was here to see it…

God was real. He's seen other miracles, to many to count, but this was solid proof that He is real.

“I’m not arresting anyone-what happened?” She asked.

Elliot felt bad for Sonny. The office sees was so tight that the poor guy was squished between himself and Olivia

_ “Not even a certain 6 year old mother?” _

The faker knew! And didn’t even warn Elliot!

“Well.” Miss Cartess said. “There was an altercation.”

Right. They were in trouble. There was a ruckus during class that the Faker paid for for her daughter to dance. Said granddaughter about to take off her shoe again.

But at that moment Elliot didn't care. All he wanted was to hold her, listen to her every word for even an  _ ounce _ of forgiveness. 

Wait, hang on. Kids, trouble. Holding onto a dance shoe. 

Olivia frowned and looked down to her son (!). “Did you fight someone?”

Noah shook his head wildly. “No!”

“It wasn’t him.” Miss Cartress said. “Allegedly-”

“Definitely!” Kyianga yelled.

“-Liam had pulled on Kyiangas braid.” Miss Carter continued.

Noah turned in his seat and reached out to Olivia's hand. “Momma, Kyianga said stopped and Liam didn’t-”

“He didn’t!” COlleen interrupted. 

“-so I said to stop, and he didn’t again! Then, when Liam grabbed her hair again Kyianga turned around and pushed him-”

“I did! And if he touches me again I’ll DO IT again!”

“Me too!” 

“-So I said that, that it was assault.” Noah finished. “Because it is, right? So you can arrest him.”

Poor Olivia, Elliot thought. She was going back and forth from all these little kids, trying to listen to one while the others talked. Elliot should help.

He really should. And he wanted to, but thing was coming out. It was like all the water in this body ad disappeared, not leaving anything for saliva.

She raised her arms and spread her fingers out. “Woah, woah woah. Hang on. Start again, one at a time.” her voice was lower. A bit airier. 

“In relations to your son?" Miss Cartress spoke. "He started a, uh. He started a movement, of sorts in class.”

A beat of silence like they were all waiting for the punchline.“Isn’t that what...isn’t that what dance is for?” Olivia asked. "Moving?"

Miss Cartess made a face. "Not that type of movement. He started chanting."

"...Chanting." Olivia repeated. "Chanting what, exactly?"

Sonny waved a hand to get Olivia's attention. "Noah started chanting  _ No means no! _ " 

Elliot nodded like the dumb and stupid simpleton he was. It was all he could do between staring at her and gripping onto Colleen's tiny fist. 

  
  


She was staring at Sonny with almost disbelief and then finally she turned to Elliot.

Brown eyes. Still as dark as ever, as wide. "A consent rally." Someone said.

Oh that was him. He could still speak!

"A consent rally?" She asked. 

Then, like the first rays of sun after a storm her face broke into a ferocious grin. Teeth and all. She was trying to stay serious for the matter but Elipt saw the pride on her face so clearly.

He was blinded by her love for her son.

She ran her hand through Noah's curls. "You started a consent rally? Aw, sweetheart!" There was nothing but pure love as she talked to her boy.

" _ Miss Benson! _ " 

Olivia was still grinning. "Are you expecting me to be angry with him for standing up for-" she looked at Sonny.

"Kyianga." Sonny said.

"Kyianga?" Olivia finished.

"I'm expecting you to realize that your son caused a scene in class which resulted in all of our students to chant." Miss Cartress pressed. "It's not the message, it's how he did it."

"It's not illegal." Noah said.

"Its  _ frowned _ upon." Miss Actress said.

"But not illegal." 

Sonny nodded next to Elliot. "He's right." Sonny whispered to him.

"Carisi, please." Olivia said and placed a hand on his shoulder and looked down to Noah. "But he's right. It's not technically illegal."

Elliot was amazed that she was still grinning to the instructors face. But he figured if he wasn't so shocked about seeing her he'd be grinning to.

(Then he realized he  _ was _ smiling and turned his face down.)

"Protesting is  _ not the point. _ The point was that it interrupted class!"

"Noah defending my daughter is distracting?" Arnold said. "I would think that Kyianga getting her hair yanked on would distract you more."

"I'm sorry that your daughter braid came out." Flachure spoke. 

"You think this-'' Arnold held up a lock. "Is just a French braid? It's a Havana twist."

"I'm sorry that her twist came undone, then. But I'm telling you people that Liam wouldn't do it."

"It's not that the twist would come out, its that her scalp could tear." Arnold turned back to Miss Cartress. "Why are you focusing on these two for trying to help Kyianga instead of Kyianga getting picked on?"

Miss Cartress sat back in her seat. The sunlight coming in made her red hair blaze. "I'm not ignoring Kyianga getting picked on, I'm focusing on how it made my  _ entire _ class start up a protest."

"Don't you want kids to say something?" Arnold asked. "Help thy neighbor, and whatnot?"

"That's not what I'm saying-"

"You're  _ saying _ that Kyianga should have defended herself-"

"I'm  _ saying _ that she should have paid attention to it beforehand! I'm not even  _ sure _ what happened. That's why I called you a lot in." Miss Cartress said. Ahs spread her hands towards the kids. "No one will listen when I say one at a time."

To prove her point the kids started talking over one another.

"- _ Liam _ pulled my-"

"- _ I didn't  _ pull on-"

"-Consent is import-"

"- _ Next time I'll throw-" _

All their words blurred into a jumble and Elliot could only pick up a few here and there. How could he with Olivia freaking Benson next to him? After all these years.

The side of him was on fire. He could  _ see _ her from the corner of his eye, he saw him holding Noah's little shoulders. He would fully turn to look at her if he didn't have to keep Colleen steady in her own chair.

Rugby was looking more favorable everyday.

***

_ What a ugly car _ Olivia thought climbing up the steps into the dance studio. Yeah sure, the man didn't know his trucks to his motorcycles but seriously. What a ugly car.

Was it petty of her to make fun of Elliot's vehicle? Yeah. But the 2010 Diamante Galante was just so...blegh. The eclipse at least had the advantage of being smaller  _ and _ more efficient.

Okay she was totally being petty. But she deserved to be. What she  _ didn't  _ deserve was to come in for a dance class thing.

She wondered what her boy did as she showed the security guards her I.D.. If she flashed her badge then who really cared. She was just a captain, these guys do the real grunt job. Olivia just, oh, had her own squad. Whatever.

But seriously what the hell did her son do? 

The bright walls gave away nothing as she walked down them, heels thudding with each step. She was surprised that the dance studios on this floor were being so quiet (then quickly changed her mind as a  _ fuck me, hump me, daddy gonna make me choke  _ blared from her side).

They made her stop in her mission and stare at the door.  _ Jesus Christ. _ She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the rap. It had a nice rhythm to it, in any case.

She hummed the rhythm down the rest of the hall. It helped the twists in her stomach down. How could she describe what she was feeling- nervous? It would make sense. 

But she didn't have that sensation of having to pee when she got nervous. Was it grief? No, because she  _ understood  _ why Elliot left. She really, really did.

It wasn’t like they hadn't talked. Wasn't like he didn't go to her a month after the shooting to explain himself. Wasn't like she didn't call him after getting back from Lewis (the first time). 

Although he didn't  _ know  _ that. That's fine! He didn't need to know. 

The studio Noah's usually in was still intact. No blood on the walls, no cops called. Just a bunch of children doing their dancing thing. None of them her child.

None of them was Maureen's own girl, Colleen. 

For a moment Olivia thought he wasn't here. But that's ridiculous- she saw his very ugly car that she didn't search up in the index a few weeks ago. And she doubted that Elliot would take Colleen to the bathroom.

Olivia wanted to close her eyes and bang it against the wall. Benson and Stabler, back at it again. Great.

Wonderful. 

Terrific. 

Olivia waved to Miss Detro who pointed towards the office.

Olivia nodded and smiled her thanks and turned towards the light door. Last time she'd been in there was to add Sonny's name to the list of people who could be with Noah. While providing a photograph. And a copy of Sonny's identification. 

And another photograph. 

She wasn't paranoid.

Olivia opened the door. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but apparently fate was on her side.

"I'm uh, already here. What happened?" Olivia responded. She smiled.

It didn't leave her face when she saw his face. It  _ really _ didn't leave when her son apparently stood for rights.

Sure, the kids were yelling. She had Elliot to her aide, so close that she could touch him. All that was separating them being face to face after so many years was Sonny.

But a  _ consent  _ rally. An honest to God consent rally. Love took over Olivia's thoughts in a second.

Could Olivia love her son more then she did? Ask her this morning and she'd say Noah was the light of her life, her reason for breathing, her shining star. There could be no limit for her sweet sensitive son whose only request in life was for red to be the center of every meal.

Well, there is still no limit but there is definitely a newfound adoration of and amazement brought to her heart. A consent rally!

True it was in class. A class really made for dancing  _ yet _ ...consent is always an important lesson for children to learn. She's been drilling it into Noah's mind since he was a baby.

What a day. And to think she was going to brush her hair for this.

"Noah take a deep breath." She said amidst the chaos. She had her hand on Noah's tiny shoulders. "You're not in trouble."

"Why didn't he get it?" Noah asked her. His green eyes tightened and his jaw clenched. "She said to stop touching her. And he didn't. That's illegal."

Olivia smiled down to her absolutely perfect son. She scratched the base of his scalp for comfort, mindful of Sonny's bun. "Sweetie-"

"So he can be arrested." Noah went on. 

"I'm not arresting Liam."

For a second Olivia debated whether or not to arrest the snot-nose from the look of Noah's face. He genuinely expected to see Liam in handcuffs before the day ended.

She could hear Liam's mother (was it Jenny? Charmaine?) sigh from her side.

Olivia turned to her and raised an eyebrow. The kids kept arguing amongst themselves.

And to her other side stood a tall snot-nose bastard who was trying to calm down his granddaughter.

Elliot Stabler is a grandfather. Elliot is standing right next to her...her department lawyer. If Olivia turned just enough she could look in his face. 

Maureen, snot-nose junior, told her this.  _ Hey Liv, I'm switching shifts so my very single dad is gonna start taking Colleen to class.  _

A few days' warning. A few days to prepare herself to see Elliot in person for the first time in  _ years. _

Texting a happy birthday, calling after a very traumatic assault-hostage situation, sending a happy holiday email? A world of difference then just seeing Elliot in such a mundane scene.

Olivia wanted to- well. She just wanted it. Just wanted her friend back, her best friend. And, maybe, to apologize for being so hyper-masculine back in the day.

"Jenny-" Olivia started.

"Gianna." Liam's mother (whoops) corrected.

" _ Gianna _ ," Olivia nodded. She winced at a yell from Arnold's daughter Kyianga. "Are you sure Liam wouldn't ever do this?"

How pathetic was it that Olivia has dripped her voice in persuasion. For a dance class incident. A dance class incident that, thank you very much, her son just tried to stop. She thinks.

All Sonny sent was  _ Not an emergency but you definitely should come down here. _ That's it. 

Once your son has been kidnapped you don't tend to think anything involving him  _ isn't  _ an emergency.

She could feel Elliot on the other side of her still. Good god this wasn't how she was going to do it. Olivia planned to just...well…

The plan wasn't that far into it. Truthfully she had sent Sonny in today so she wouldn't have to come in and see Elliot. Maybe that was more pathetic than this current predicament they were in.

Trapped in a tiny room, nowhere to go or hide. Children yelling. Miss Cartess on the verge of a breakdown.

Gianna looked up to Olivia, a good four inches of space separating them. She used the height difference to her advantage and did a sort of loom over Gianna. Get the tiniest bit into the women's space so she feels more inclined to share. Kind of like telling a friend.

After a moment Gianna nodded. She had some pretty eyes. "Liam's having a rough moment adjusting."

"Adjusting…?" Olivia pressed gently. 

"We moved houses." Gianna said with relief. She nodded and began to use her hands with her words. "You see, Liam had been used to a brownstone. But now we moved to a condo loft ten blocks away. He's not used to being so high."

Olivia blinked. And did it again. Then once more. She looked down to her son who was looking back at her.

Nobody spoke in that second, the children surprisingly quiet. It was Arnold who broke the silence.

"Did Liam change schools?" He asked.

Gianna shook her head. "Oh no. He's driven everyday to Saint Marys."

"So you just moved...buildings." Arnold clarified. "That's all?"

Gianna nodded. She started to run a hand through Liams short hair. "I think the air difference is affecting his judgement."

If Gianna didn't sound so serious Olivia would wack her with a pad of papers. Hell, if she believed in police brutality she would have done it.

But there was nothing but truth coming from her pink lips. Stupid, shiny, sticky pink lips.

Olivia turned away from Gianna totally and brought her knuckles to her own mouth to stop anything from coming out. Sonny didn't.

"You really think air deprivation is Liam's cause of issue? From inside a building?" He asked. He sounded pretty annoyed. 

" _ Yes. _ " Gianna said. She acted like this was a confession. 

Olivia looked up from her chosen eye focus. That was when she finally got to look Elliot in the face.

_ Beard _ , she thought. Shaved close to his skin but there it was in all its salt-pepper glory. His eyes were still the same icy blue they were a decade ago.

Could she catalog every minor change in his aged face? Every wrinkle, every spot? Olivia sure thought she could. He smiled then, and she got to see his teeth. 

"Ma'am?"

They- the adults- were still talking. She could hear them, like they were underwater. Nothing to really focus on. 

"Ma'am."

Why would she? Olivia wanted to talk to Elliot. Funny how it was just this morning she'd wanted to avoid the man. _ My very single dad _ Maureen voice echoed in her mind.

"Miss Benson!"

"Hmm?" She turned away.

Miss Cartress had her eyes closed. Poor lady, Olivia thought. A consent rally in class. Gianna's worries about her son's O2 levels. Olivia would pay someone for her  _ not _ to ever teach this class.

"You and your kids can go back now." Miss Cartess strained to her. She looked between Olivia and Elliot.``Just don't start another protest." There was no room for argument.

Noah stood up and looked to Liam. He made a little  _ I'm watching you  _ motion with his fingers, pointing at his eyes to Liam. 

"He could take  _ that _ as a threat you know." Olivia said lightly as they left the office. 

Noah looked up to her. "But watching people isn't assault. It's like Batman."

"Whose Batman?" Colleen asked from behind them. Elliot was holding the door open for her and let it shut tight when they were out.

"He's a detective that likes to dress like a bat." Noah replied. He turned up to Olivia. For the rest time since Olivia got called down here he looked ashamed. "Am I in trouble?"

She should say yes. Right? 

"No sweetheart." Olivia grinned. She pulled him into her space and hugged him close. "You did what you thought was right."

"Am I in trouble?" Colleen asked.

"Yes you're in trouble." Elliot said. "You threatened to hit Liam with your shoe."

"But I was only doing what I thought was right."

"No no, joining Noah's consent rally was doing the right thing. Violence isn't."

Noah nudged Olivia's arm and looked up from her stomach. "I didn't threaten to hit anyone."

Olivia smiled. "I know you didn't."

"But I did tell him I was gonna become a cop and arrest him."

"When?"

"Before Uncle Sonny came into the room." Noah said. 

"Well," Sonny said from besides Olivia. "If Liam's oxygen levels stay so low in the next fifteen years you might have to."

He was trying not to laugh and failing miserably. Olivia couldn't say anything about it- she was having trouble keeping it together herself. 

She kissed Noah's forehead real quick and pushed him gently to the rest of the studio. "Go. You have about twenty minutes left. I better not hear a  _ peep _ coming from you."

He furrowed his brow. "I'm not a chicken."

"No, Peeps are the marshmallow candies." Colleen said from besides Noah. 

"Oh. Why would she call me a marshmallow?" He asked as they drifted away to join the rest of the class.

Then there were two.

"Marshmallow peeps are the worst."

Then there were two plus Sonny.

Olivia nodded towards his way, watching Noah as joined the lines and raised his arms. "Disgusting."

"Awful."

"Sugary."

"You have a son." Elliot said.

Olivia turned fully to him. She actually  _ saw  _ him.

There were a few men taller than her- fewer that she had to actually look  _ up _ at. No one was between them so she could see every part of him. And damn it he was still a total smoke show.

She could have laughed if she wasn't frozen to the spot. Olivia knew she should have more words for Elliot. She was a English major, for pete's sake. She should totally be focused on how she was feeling more than what she was seeing.

Yet Olivia felt nothing but one: relief. 

After  _ years _ of not being in the same building as him, here he was. He was fine. He was breathing. She didn't have anything to worry about. 

Elliot was alive. His heart was beating in his chest, pumping out blood to his muscles. His nervous system was firing, neutrons and electrons and whatever the fuck goes on in a human body is doing its job right now.

"Yeah." She replied. She smiled, then smiled wider at this particular moment. "I have a son."

Did she never tell him? No, why would she? 

How did she not tell him?

"His name is Noah."

_ How did she never tell him? _

"He's six."

But...why would she? When would she have brought it up? Over drinks? 

"And he's such a good kid." She said without any argument. Not that anyone here would. 

Elliot's smile was so...comforting. That was it, the way his cheeks pulled and his lips stretched. His teeth peeking through, eyes crinkled. It was like looking into the sun after a long, rough night. 

"He's great." Elliot said. The thing was, Olivia knew the sincerity in what he said. Je wasn't just saying that to say it. Elliot knew that Olivia had the actual greatest kid in the world. 

Okay, so maybe  _ that _ was a stretch. The man had five of his own  _ plus _ a granddaughter. He probably thought that of his own kids.

"Noah really is the best." Sonny said. Sonny who had no nephews other than Noah so Olivia  _ knew _ that Sonny meant  _ best boy in the whole world. _

See? She wasn't wearing mom goggles. Sonny was a very intelligent lawyer whose job was to be non-bias.

"He fixed Colleen's hair for me." Elliot said. "God knows what I would have done without him."

"How many girls do you have? And can't even put together a bun for dance class." Olivia  _ tsk- _ ed at him. "What a shame."

Elliot took the tiniest step closer. His hands were fists, arms crossed over his broad chest. "None of mine ever wanted to do dance."

"Beth still had to have her hair up in softball." Olivia remembered. Long ago, Elliot came into the squad room and tossed Olivia a picture of his daughter in her uniform,  _ looking at how big she's getting! _

Olivia's brain was really somewhere else to have forgotten Sonny again. "Do you guys know each other?" He asked from the side. 

Olivia blinked. Then she took a step because she realized how much closer  _ she _ had gotten to Elliot. "Right, sorry Sonny."

She pointed to Elliot. "Elliot was my, he was my first partner at SVU."

"Olivia was my…fifth maybe?" Elliot shook his head. "I went through them like water."

Suddenly Elliot jerked his whole body. Olivia reached out, thinking the man was going to collapse. "What is it?"

Elliot turned fully to Sonny and pointed at him. " _ You _ worked at SVU?"

Sonny nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah. Olivia was my Sergent when I started."

"You  _ sure _ that you were a Special Victims? Not just a traffic cop?" Elliot repeated. "Special victims? With the rape and the abuse and the-"

"Oh he definitely was in it." Olivia laughed. "I asked for a caring experienced detective and they gave me Sonny."

"Although back then you'd call me Carisi." Sonny said. "Then I found my way into your heart."

Elliot still seemed like the dots weren't connecting. Olivia completely got it- Sonny wasn't the type of man you'd think you'd find in her unit. Bubbly, happy, just a bit annoying. But damn was the boy brave and loving as could be.

"Sonny was a great cop." Olivia praised. "Still could be if he ever wanted to drop the briefcase."

"Rafael would  _ kill _ me. After everything I put him through?" Sonny shook his head. "And I just know that you would help cover it up."

She would. 

Happily.

"How long were you on SVU, Elliot?" Sonny asked.

"Uh, about what? 12 years?" Elliot replied. His voice hitched, face was slowly closing in on itself. 

Olivia has had enough therapy now to acknowledge how this made her feel. She didn't deny her emotions like she did all those years ago. So it really doesn't make sense that she raised her hand to hold his loosely instead of actually talking. 

Didn't make her drop his fingers tho.

His big hand was rough under hers, coarse and warm. It was less of a handhold and more of a hand  _ Elliot I'm giving you support and this is how I can do it in front of a dozen kids and Sonny  _ grip.

Elliot didn't let go. Infact, he dropped his crossed arms and held her hand in both of his. A sort of  _ I forgot we were in front of a dozen children or else I wouldn't have brought up rape _ hold.

Who needed words?

" _ Oh. _ Okay uhm. I see." Sonny said. Olivia turned her head towards him and raised an eyebrow. "What?" She asked.

But Sonny was looking at the ground. He scuffed his shoe. "Right.  _ Partners. _ "

The way he said it all candy coated and sweet dug right into Olivia's mind. While Maureen's claim  _ my very single dad  _ chanted in the background and her holding his hand and-

"Carisi-" she started, face reddening. 

"No I  _ understand _ ." Carisi said. He grinned. "Like Rollins and Amaro."

" _ Not at all like Rollins and Amaro. _ " She said back. Still very much holding Elliots rough hand.

But she couldn’t just say  _ oh yeah Sonny, Elliot over here shot a child but don't worry! It was because the child's mother's rapist just killed said mother. It's all good! _

So she settled with heated cheeks. The things she did for her own.

Now if  _ only  _ Carisi would leave them alone for five minutes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said slow burn and I MEANT IT

**Author's Note:**

> See ya next week bitches


End file.
